Andy Smithson: Recent Episodes
Andy Smithson
Andy Smithson, LCSW from TRU Parenting inspires and helps parents, not only improve kids' behavior, but build powerful cycles of continuous growth and happiness in themselves, with their children and in their families as a whole through the TRU principles of Teaching, Relationship and Upgrading Yourself: All in 15 minutes or less. As a husband, father of 4 kids, counselor and blogger, Andy knows how busy parenting life can be and seeks to deliver inspiring stories and practical tips that will help you and your child in every aspect of your life together with a podcast that fits your busy schedule. Find each of Andy's original written articles at www.truparenting.net.
Overwhelmed with having the kids home full time for the summer? Try these 6 steps to help the whole family have an awesome summer.
Learn 10 daily practices that parents often think they don't have time for that will actually increase your productivity and magically add hours to your day.
Do you want to increase your child's cooperation and make everyone in the home a little happier? Add a little playfulness to your interactions with your kids.
Want more peace, cooperation, listening and happiness in your home. Learn to apply some specific acts of playfulness to help your children be happier and more cooperative.
Learn 6 sure fire ways to stop arguing with your kids. You'll learn things to say today to shut down the arguments and encourage cooperation and communication.
Every day our relationships are growing or diminishing. In this episode we talk about 7 things people do to sabotage their relationships, sometimes without even knowing it.
How can you and your husband deal with a miscarriage and move forward with your family? Find 4 concepts that will help you move past the grief and find joy in your family again.
Today's podcast addresses the difficult issue of child abuse and how parents can recognize the signs of abuse and stop the cycles of abuse from continuing.
Today is TRU Parenting's first guest interview with Amanda from www.dirtandboogers.com. She offers 5 ways to calm down and stop yelling at your kids.
Do you ever feel like life and parenting is overwhelming? Is it hard to stay positive and patient through it all? Here are 7 ways to help to remain positive and patient even when the kids and everything around you are crazy.
I share a review of David A Christensen's Book "Parenting Principles: 31 Teachings to Raise Children in Righteousness."
Is addiction affecting your parenting? What you can do: admit you have a problem, tell someone, seek help, never give up. Psychotherapy & 12 step program.
Help child cope with death of a loved one, loss, adversity. Emotional wounds take time and care to heal. Understand stages of grief. Hug & cry with them
These non-parenting books have truly positively changed my parenting and my life. They can do the same for you.
30 Things I've Learned About Parenting From Real Life, since having 5 children of my own.
A good nights sleep can change you and your child's life. Learn 6 tips for improving your child's sleep so they can be happier all day.
Learn about the 1970-80's Alcoholism Research that will help you parent smarter. Understanding our children's stages of change can help us make better parenting decisions and motivate our kids to change successfully.
Being present and mindful with our kids can be hard when we can't seem to let go of the past. In today's episode you'll learn some practical skills to help you let go and be a better parent.
I used to be afraid of pregnancy and childbirth like so many others are. I no longer fear childbirth. Listen to my journey from fear to peace.
When I can calm their cries, when they begin to help themselves, These are just a few parenting moments when you know you are doing right
Set productive, effective goals and learn 4 fun activities to help teach your kids to set effective goals. Let's give them the tools they need to reach their dreams.
Santa Claus is a symbol & tradition. Santa represents kindness & love as he gives anonymously. He does his "alms" in secret; so do we as we become Santa.
4 proactive ways to train yourself to think first & have greater emotionally fitness. Think first, Feel, then Act (TFA) rather than, Feel, Act, Think (FAT)
Teach your child. Show them by example what they need to know; tell them positively; work and play with them; allow them to learn by their experience
Learn 4 essential things your infant needs to learn in their first couple years of life and why they are so important.
Why don't my kids listen? Emotions, nagging speak louder than words. Respect that they are "busy". They don't want to be controlled, or overwhelmed.
Do the stresses of the holidays turn us into a Scrooge? Fill holidays with joy, laughter & love. Simplify, be grateful, live within your budget, say no
Plan a family adventure for greater family togetherness, confidence, courage & satisfaction. Improve communication as you play and relax. Kindness follows.
Potty training tips. My child won't pee or poop on the potty. How can I motivate him? Look for physical, mental and emotional readiness and interest.
Parenting has its ups and downs. Learn how "TRU" can help you truly enjoy parenting no matter what gets thrown your way.
Reading is one of the most valuable activities parents can share with their kids. Here is a list of 25 fun Halloween books to enjoy with your kids
Yell Less Love More Book Review including tips to stop yelling Put reminders, know your triggers, practice relaxation, meditation, & deep breathing
Child is teased, called fat, bullied. Self-esteem and worth develops over time. Give compliments, optimism, love & play with your child. Seek help if needed
7 positive parenting practices that improve influence with our children. Read, talk, play & pray with them. Give verbal and physical affection. See interactions become more enjoyable
Laugh at the silly things your kids do and the things you thought you'd never say to anyone. "Please don't sit on his head" & "Don't lick the sidewalk"
When kids seem to lack motivation, could it be lack of ability? When they say "I can't", they're not usually being lazy...they just need tools & direction
Hard to get the kids ready and in the car all at once? 6 attitudes & tips to help: Prepare ahead of time, slow down, be realistic about their abilities
A parent calming tool you always have with you. Learn the benefits of conscious, deep, slow & regulated breathing to trigger relaxation and stress reduction
Your child says he hates school. Re-ignite his educational fire: Give him freedom to explore, set his own goals & reach them with purpose for what he's learning.
3 things that contribute to parental frustration (Unmet expectations, real or perceived inability to control, limiting beliefs), and how to manage them.
Kids bring new stress and challenges to a marriage. This article identified 5 common troubles couples with kids face and ways to work through them together.
The skill in the podcast is the most effective skill I have taught parents to learn to turn off our negative automatic reactions and respond more mindfully and effectively with their kids.
If we're honest, most guys have some fears going into fatherhood. This article shares 5 fears Dad's to be often experience and ways to overcome the fear.
No one enjoys tantrums but they are part of parenting and part of our children growing up. Gian perspective and practical solutions to stop them and prevent them in the future.
What do you do when your kids sneak or steal food and treats? This article shares practical ways to stop the sneaking now and change the ongoing cycles.
Back to School time can bring a whole new list of problems to address as a parent. This article gives some practical ways to have the best year yet.
Have you ever said to a friend or even to yourself, “My children are always in my way and their voices are constantly in my ear. I don’t know how long I can take the incessant whining. I think I’m going to go crazy.” This article will give you 7 ways to react positively when your kids start to "bug" you.
As parents I don't think any of us are completely above giving a little bride now and then to help motivate our children, but the question is, "Does it work?" Do rewards, bribes or whatever you want to call them really shape behavior, compliance and teach the things we want our kids to learn? This article will answer that question.
There is far too much shame and stress associated with parenting today. This post examines one of the causes of that parental shame and stress and how setting appropriate personal boundaries with an attitude of "Responsibility To" rather than "Responsibility For" can make all the difference in increasing our happiness and effectiveness as a parent and as a person.
It's easy to feel unappreciated and undervalued when we are dealing with kids, work and all of the other stresses of everyday life. It's normal to feel this way in a relationship from time to time but we don't have to settle for continuing our lives that way forever. You want your partner to value you. This article gives some perspective and 3 ways, complete with exercises you can do to feel more appreciated and valued by your partner.
Chores can be one of the biggest conflict between parents and kids but they don't have to be. Chores are more productive when we make chores fun and kids learn to do them cheerfully. This article provides 15 ideas for making chores more fun for kids and more fun for you too.
As parent's we often have extensive "to do lists" but rarely give a lot of thought to our "not to do list." It can be just as important to identify the things that get in the way of our mission as a parent and resolve not to do them so we can leave more room for the things that are most important. This article provides a list of 13 "not to do's" that will help you do more of what counts.
Do you want to have a more peaceful home? Do you want to stop yelling and be more calm and cool. This article gives 15 amazing articles that will give you the tools you need to stop yelling and improve the feeling in your home and family relationship for good.
Has your child ever struggled with losing. Do you want to help them learn to win and lose graciously and continue to have the confidence to keep trying and growing. This article shares 4 ways to help your child deal with losing with good sportsmanship.
Kids need limits. They need boundaries and there is just no way of getting around consequences. Too often parents have a distorted view of setting clear limits, boundaries and consequences. This article share what TRU limits, boundaries and consequences are and how you can establish them without punishment or all the drama.
Too often I hear mothers and wives complain that their husbands are not pulling their weight. It's time to step up husbands and fathers! This article shares 23 ways that husbands and fathers can be heroes to their wives and children.
Do you ever wish that your husband would step up and do a little more with the kids? As a father myself, it drives me crazy to read and hear mother’s comments about how they feel like they are raising their kids alone when their husband is right in the other room. This article gives Moms 10 things they can do to help their husbands help them and be more engaged with the kids and family.
There is a lot of discussion and debate about spanking. It can be a rather controversial topic. In this article I share why spanking doesn't make sense as discipline (teaching) and several alternatives to spanking that do make sense.
Do you ever feel down? Do you ever struggle with parenthood? If so, join the club. All parents feel this way at times. We often hope and wish these feelings would change and we would have the confidence and happiness we want. This article provides a principle and skill that can help us get there. Confidence and happiness often require that we "act as if" we are confident and happy and then come these feeling rather than the other way around.
Sometimes life can be stressful. It can be easy to let our frustrations effect our choices, relationships and interactions with our children and others. This article will give you 6 doable steps to help you manage your frustrations effectively so that you don't end up taking them out on the kids.
Boredom is nothing new. It’s been around for a long time but we seem to have a much lower tolerance for it and a lower ability to overcome it these days. Even kids that aren’t tech junkies bombard us with complaints of boredom at times. What do we do? How do we help them cope or cure that boredom? This article will give you 10 ways to help your kids cure boredom without technology.
Multiple parents have expressed that they feel money management is an imperative piece of education that needs to be taught while children are still under our care. How do we teach them this important skill? This article explains three important principles our kids need to know in order to manage their money wisely and some practical ways to teach them.
If you are struggling to stop yelling at your kids, your spouse or anyone else, or if you have another bad habit you really want to kick, this article is for you. I'll give you a 21 day (3 week) step by step process to deprogram these old habits and grow new, health habits and cycles!
Sometimes kids lie. Parents struggle with their kids lying and wonder what to do. In this article, you'll find specific ways to deal with all kinds of lies and promote healthy cycles of honesty and trust.
In this article you'll learn how to prevent meltdowns in your children and decrease tantrums by recognizing triggers and signs. We share 3 specific triggers and signs to watch for and ways to intervene to prevent negative behavior before it happens. Audio / Podcast
Does it ever feel like everything is falling apart? It can be so difficult to see the positive in our kids but we can improve our ability to look for and see the positive in our kids and our lives. Audio Podcast
Happy Father's Day! TRU Father's are becoming more rare. This article shares the thoughts of several great parenting bloggers on what a TRU Father really is and what some of the most important things are that their fathers taught them. We celebrate and express our gratitude to all the great Dads out there! (Audio recording)
Connection and breeds respect and understanding, but… sometimes it doesn’t feel like that. This article will give you perspective and practical responses to continue connecting even when you feel it's not working.
We are all busy parents and wish all the time that we had a few more hours in the day. Would you like more energy, more insight, more productivity and to just feel better physically and emotionally? Learn one simple routine that has the power to improve each of these things.
What do you think is the answer to the question, "When is it okay for kids to fight?" How do we teach our kids to be assertive and stand up for themselves without encouraging them to jump to aggressive or violent solutions too quickly? How do we help them be assertive, and safe without being a bully themselves?
This audio will teach 5 ways parents can safeguard their kids against tech and media garbage, including pornography, violence and other media trash.
Learn and be inspired to put the 4 essential elements of conquering any goal or obstacle to work in your personal life and your family life.
Simple greetings and first impressions can have a powerful effect on perceptions and how people react to us. This article shares 3 simple ways to improve our greetings to positively influence our interactions and relationships with our kids.
A list of 17 fun spring and summer activities to do with your children that will build and strengthen you relationship with your child without costing you a lot of money. www.truparenting.net
Even superheros need help. This article shares three steps and actions mom or dad can take to enlist the help you need and build your superparent team.
Learn 3 essential elements of effective communication with our children or anyone for that matter.
A short poem and tribute to Moms on this Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day. See the full article text at http://truparenting.net/mom-job-faint-heart-happy-mothers-day/